lèine
/ˈʎeːnə/feminine
The Gaelic word for shirt is lèine.
lèine refers to a shirt, an article of clothing.
Meaning: article of clothing (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
lèine is a feminine noun. The plural form of the feminine noun lèine is leine. To say "the shirt", use the definite article an lèine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʎeːnə/
Did you know?
- Historically, the lèine was a long tunic reaching the knees, rather than the waist-length garment known as a 'shirt' today.
- The lèine was traditionally made from linen, a fabric so central to the garment's identity that the word for the material is closely linked to the item itself.
- In early Gaelic society, the lèine was frequently worn by both men and women, acting as a primary undergarment or basic dress.
Examples in context
- Tha an lèine ùaine seo mhòr.This green shirt is large.
- Feumaidh mi lèine ùr a cheannach.I need to buy a new shirt.
Example conversation
Isla and Angus are getting ready for a party.
- IslaA bheil thu ag iarraidh a chleachdadh a' lèine seo?Do you want to use this shirt?
- AngusCha bhid e a' freelancers, tha e ro mhòr.It won't fit, it is too big.
- IslaTha a' lèine eile nas lugha.The other shirt is smaller.
- AngusSeo an t-uair, tha i fìor mhath!That's the one, it is very good!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shirt” translations and entries lèine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
